Opposing False Beliefs

Judges 6:1, 7-10, 12-14, 25-32 NAS
Related Sunday School Lesson, Family Bible Series, March 14

Israeli life had reached an all-time low. Not only had the culture become characterized by reprehensible behavior and lifestyles (v.1), but for the first time in her national history, the people of Israel were forced to flee their homes and search for refuge in the caves and dens of the mountains.

But why the demise? Two reasons. One, the people of Israel had abandoned the principles and precepts of God as a foundation for living (v.10). His will for the home and family life had become unimportant. His guidelines for sex and sexuality had been ignored. His demands concerning worship and the Sabbath had been relegated to ancient history. His instruction about justice and integrity and wealth were seen as restrictive.

In short, the people of Israel honestly thought that behavioral decisions held no negative consequences. Yet, if the Bible teaches us anything, it teaches us that perennial sin impacts both family and society in destructive ways.

Going at life God’s way may be viewed by some as nothing more than one alternative among many, but the laws laid down by God are much more than mere alternatives. They actually serve as walls of protection (see Ezekiel 22). They produce well-being and prosperity for the people and the cultures that hold them in high esteem. However, when those walls come down, a society and the individuals within it suffer.

Two, according to verses 1-2, God actually moved upon the Midianites to plunder and destroy Israel’s life-sustaining resources. Why? Because He hated Israel? Of course not! God simply wanted to accelerate Israel’s realization that doing things their way was not advantageous to successful lives and fulfilled hearts.

Judges 6 teaches us at least three truths. First truth, how we live matters to God. Second truth, how we live makes a difference in the society that surrounds us. Third truth, when God calls a nation back to Him, he begins with a solitary person.

Don’t miss this. If you believe American society is in trouble and stands in desperate need of correction, that correction begins with you. If you believe changes need to be made in the way things are, those changes begin with you. That may be the biggest shock of this week’s lesson. “There is an order of reversing the flow of cultural decay, and it ends rather than starts with politics,” so wrote Marvin Olasky, in a recent issue of World magazine. This particular editor also asserted, “You don’t start at the top ... we have overemphasized politics without reforming our churches and ... our own lives.” Gideon made that discovery more than 3,000 years ago.

When God wanted to bring about cultural change He started with one man – Gideon. To be sure, Gideon didn’t see himself as an agent of change. He had doubts that God would actually do something about Israel’s plight (v.13). He saw himself as an insignificant speck in the universe (v.15). And he was hiding out just like the rest of Israel (v.11). Gideon was just an average guy, and he knew it. Yet, isn’t it true that the average guy is used far more by God than any other kind of guy (see I Cor. 1:20-29)? Sure it is! Let me tell you something exciting. An average guy in the hand of God becomes a “valiant warrior” (v.12).

God usually gets things started with one person, and today, you are that person. But there’s more. God usually asks that person to start in his own backyard (v.25). That’s not always easy, but it’s amazing how the courage of one family member can produce change and courage in other family members (v.31). If you agree that many of our nation’s current problems started with the breakdown of the home, then you’ll probably agree that the cure is the repair of the home. Never underestimate the effect that one committed person can have on his or her home and how one changed home can eventually impact a city and then an entire nation.

Gideon was ultimately used to deliver Israel in one “spectacular moment.” That’s great for Gideon, and maybe God will raise up a handful of people to produce instantaneous, cataclysmic transformation in America. You may be that person. But, you and I are likely to have our greatest impact through what has been called “determined perseverance.”

“Quiet heroism” is the supreme challenge for most of us. Who are the quiet heroes? How about moms and dads who give their children firm but loving guidance 24/7? How about counselors at crisis pregnancy centers who, as someone wrote, tirelessly “wrestle with the consciences of unmarried pregnant women?” What about the neighbor who, instead of screaming insults at the homosexual next door, actually befriends him and performs positive acts of good in the name of Jesus? What about the mentor who fills the shoes of an absent father or mother? What about the business executive who cares more for integrity than he does for making a quick financial killing? How about the spouse who chooses to keep investing in his or her marriage rather than throwing it away to fulfill some mid-life fantasy? How about the Sunday School teacher who consistently prepares well and presents the truth in compelling ways?

In a speech recently delivered at a church in New Orleans, President Bush said, “Intractable problems ... that seem impossible to solve can be solved ... one person at a time.” In that same speech, he referred to himself as “a one-man faith-based program.” What might happen if you saw yourself as “a one-man faith-based program?” Your home just might change. Your community just might change. Your nation just might change. And who knows, the world just might change. “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior!”